The present invention relates to a device for the administration of medicinal substances. More particularly, a device to be applied to the skin of the ear of a subject, especially of an animal.
Numerous means for the administration of medicinal substances, especially to animals, are known. These devices may be applied to the skin of different parts of the body, such as the ears, the neck, the shoulder, the tail or the nasal cavities, or again the mucosa of the genital organs of a subject. These known means are in different forms, such as adhesive tape, receptacles of different types, perforating plates. These known means are maintained in place, for example, by adhesives or with the aid of different mechanical devices, such as clips, fasteners, pins, spikes or clamps. It was found that the use of the devices of the prior art was not always satisfactory with respect to the maintenance in place, the tightness and the optimum penetration of the medicinal substance to be administered. Thus, for example, the fixation of such means with the aid of an adhesive often requires the initial shaving of the hair and cleaning of the skin and in addition to bond frequently did not resist all of the exigencies of the life of the subject. Means maintained in place with the aid of mechanical devices, even if they are kep in place better, do not always achieve a satisfactorily tight bond between said means and the skin. The mechanical means do not insure the permanent contact between the surface of skin intended to enter into contact with the medicinal substance, which is indispensable for optimum absorption. This inconvenience is often encountered when the medicinal substances to be applied are in the form of ointments, cream or gels. Some of the known means have attempted to solve this problem of the application of substances having the consistency of cream, ointments or gels by using aluminum cups as the receptacles, the cups being attached to the ear of the subject by means of a pin. Even though the cup is deformed during its placement, after the operation of placement, it retains the form and volume received. Because of this fact, the layer of the medicinal substance initially in contact with the skin is absorbed and a space is created between the absorbent surface of the skin and the substance in question, which is contained in the cup. There is, therefore, a risk that the medicinal substances remains partially unabsorbed. Another known means consists of a cup of a plastic material, of a more or less elastic nature, which is secured to the ear of the subject with several pins. The medicinal substance is introduced in the form of a solution previously adsorbed on a solid support, such as a porous disk of burned clay. After the placing of this means of administration, the solid support rests in the cup and is maintained in permanent contact with the skin by a spring resting against the bottom of said cup. As a result, even if the cup is made of an elastic material, the potential elasticity of the cup never has the effect of moving the bottom of the cup closer to the skin. This potential elasticity, therefore, serves only to assure the contact of the edge of the cup with the skin. This means of administration is suitable only in the case of a solid support which previously had adsorbed a medicinal solution. Consequently, it is obvious that in the case where a medicinal substance having the consistency of an ointment, a cream or a gel must be administered such a means of administration cannot be used. (French Pat. No. 2 292 489 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,296 describe a device for the application of a medicinal substance to the skin of an animal.
Devices used to mark the animals which comprend a pin through the skin are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,390,342 and French Pat. Nos. 335 245, 740 203, and 858 267)